Tag: runelore

Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir, hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear, for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power. He later passed on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn, taught him the magic of seidhr. Heimdall, the god who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.

Runic alphabets first appeared among German tribes in central and eastern Europe. The runes were made of straight lines to make the characters suitable for cutting into wood or stone. The Old Germanic Runic alphabet or “Elder Futhark” contains 24 runes. The first six runes of the alphabet spell out the word “FUTHARK”.

Here are the 24 runes that make up the Elder Futhark

FEHU RUNE

Fehu – Divination meanings: finances and prosperity, could also refer to person’s libido

Teutonic is a word that was once used to denote a specific Germanic tribe, but now encompasses a heritage that includes much of Northern Europe including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. This is mainly due to the travels of the Teutonic people and the spread of their wisdom.

Teutonic numerology is different from western numerology and has a different spiritual meaning of numbers in that counting worked on a base 12 system. Therefor the concept of perfect numbers is shifted to 12 and its multiples. In Teutonic numerology the numbers have specific meanings that usually correspond with rune magic.

One – represents the prime source and is the end of the synthesizing process

Two – represents duality, twins and active balance

Three – One of the first magical numbers of the Teutonic people. Three represents action and reaction. It represents the synthesis of opposites.

Four – this is the number of stability, completeness, and the wholeness of Earth. It bears reference to the four dwarves who forged Freya’s necklace. It is also associated with the sun.

Five – The Germanic week was only five days long. Five is a number of active order and control

Six – It is another magical number, representing the balance of two and the synthesis of three, but is not mentioned much in Teutonic mythology

Seven – This number is not mentioned much in the myths, but some believe it can be a number of death and can be used for contact with other worlds.

Eight – Represents the completeness of the Heavens and the otherworlds. It is the number of travel between the worlds being associated with Sleipnir. It is a number of wholeness. There are 3 sets of 8 runes that make up the elder futhark.

Nine – This is the greatest magical number. Odhinn hangs nine nights on the tree Yggdrasil. There are also nine worlds in Teutonic belief. It is a number of power and direction.

Ten and Eleven have very little meaning in Teutonic numerology

Twelve – Another number of great wholeness and being. There are 12 Gods and 12 Goddesses and 12 great halls of Asgard. Twelve is a number of earthly power

Here is a list of each rune name starting at the top and reading from left to right. You will also see the English letters associated below each rune. Please keep in mind that each rune has a much more metaphysical and complexing nature than the generic meanings you see below! These are the Elder Futhark Runes.

FEHU– cattle or wealth or magical life force and energy

URUZ-aurochs, courage and strength or unconscious life energy

THURISAZ-thorn, giant or strong one, brute force

ANSUZ-god, wisdom and inspiration

RAIDHO-riding. Journey

KENAZ-torch, controlled energy

GEBO– gift, generosity, loyalty

WUNJO-joy, wishing, happiness

HAGALAZ-hail, hardship and cosmic pattern

NAUTIZ-need and necessity to endure and constraint

ISA-ice, ego and concentration

JERA-harvest or yearly cycle

EIHWAZ-yew tree and mystery of life and death

PERTHO-dice cup, rune of divination

ALGIZ-protection, to make holy or fill with godly might

SOWILO-the sun or solar wheel, the magical will

TIWAZ– Tyr, the god of justice and victory and the sky god

BERKANO-birch tree or the Great Mother Earth

EHWAZ-horse or twins

MANNAZ-human or man

LAGUZ-water and life energy

INGWAZ-the god Ing and storehouse of potential energy

DAGAZ-day as 24 hours, time of light and darkness

OTHALA-ancestral property

There are 24 runes in the Elder Futhark which is what you see above. Each rune is not only a letter in an old Germanic alphabet, but bears a primary definition of “secret” and must be thought of as a holy concept that must be expressed in concealment. These were ancient symbols used in writing on stones, metal, and wood. The symbols had a religious or magical meaning for those who wrote them. Each rune should be viewed as having a highly complex nature that deals with different forces of nature and energy and from which it flows. The runes origins are Teutonic or Germanic in nature. Runes are used for magic and divination. Runes can be used magically in many ways. The most common way is to inscribe them into talismans or objects for a specific purpose. Some use them for divination or a psychic reading.